TiVoWorthy TV for the Week of January 6, 2008

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Published: January 4, 2008 at 03:01 AM GMT
Last Updated: January 4, 2008 at 03:01 AM GMT

By Ed Martin

SATURDAY, JANUARY 5

True Life (MTV, 2 p.m. ET)
Three Episodes. MTV today will serve up three new editions of its outstanding documentary series True Life. The first is I'm the Black Sheep (about three young people who feel like outcasts in their own homes and are desperate to win their parents' respect) followed at 3 p.m. by I Panic (about young people who suffer uncontrollable panic attacks) and at 4 p.m. by I'm an Alcoholic (about two young women struggling to overcome their deadly addictions to alcohol).

Alien Abductions: True Confessions (WE, 8 p.m. ET)
Series Premiere. Two Episodes. Women who claim to have been abducted by extra-terrestrials are the focus of this new documentary-reality series. The first of two episodes telecast tonight tells the story of Debra, a 51-year-old mother of two boys who "lost" three days when she was 22. After undergoing hypnosis, she recalls being captured by aliens at the time and forced to undergo strange medical procedures that she believes cured a fatal blood disease later in her life. The second episode focuses on Christina, a 32-year-old single mother who often disappeared for hours at a time when she was a child and never dealt with that lingering mystery until her son told her that he was seeing "blue men" in the middle of the night.

Beyond Loch Ness (Sci Fi Channel, 9 p.m. ET)
Premiere. A young scientist is obsessed with killing the legendary Loch Ness Monster. Brian Krause (Charmed) and Don S. Davis (Twin Peaks) star.

Charlie & Me (Hallmark Channel, 9 p.m. ET)
Premiere. Tom Bosley (Mr. C from Happy Days!) stars as a senior citizen whose lust for life remains undiminished after he suffers a heart attack and learns that his health is failing. He decides to spend the time he has left helping his workaholic widowed son become a better father and imparting the wisdom he has developed over the years to his feisty 12-year-old granddaughter. Keep that box of tissues nearby, because you can probably guess how this one ends. James Gallanders and Jordy Benattar co-star.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 6

American Gladiators (NBC, 9 p.m. ET)
Series Premiere. Two Episodes. Hulk Hogan and Laila Ali (Dancing with the Stars) host this updated adaptation of the Nineties syndicated cheese-fest, in which amateur fighters take on professionals in grueling physical challenges. In each episode, two male and two female contenders compete against each other. The last man and woman standing at the end of the series each receive $100,000.

Desperate Housewives (ABC, 9 p.m. ET)
When we last left the residents of Wisteria Lane, they were exiting their damaged homes in the aftermath of a deadly tornado that tore up almost everything in the neighborhood and completely destroyed Mrs. McCluskey's house -- the very place where Lynette's husband and children and Ida Greenberg had sought shelter. All we want to know is, did Ida's poor cat survive and did the tornado destroy that monstrous fountain that Bob and Lee had installed in their front yard? We hope so -- on both counts! Enjoy this original episode, because you won't see another until long after the WGA strike ends. Teri Hatcher, Felicity Huffman, Marcia Cross, Eva Longoria Parker and Nicollette Sheridan star. Nathan Fillion and Kathryn Joosten are the guest stars.

The Wire (HBO, 9 p.m. ET)
Season Premiere. As the WGA strike enters its third month, it's looking like an Unhappy New Year for fans of scripted television drama. But all is not lost, at least for HBO subscribers: The fifth season of its Peabody Award-winning drama series The Wire begins tonight. This is also the final season of the show, which means series creator David Simon will over the course of these ten episodes bring many of its long-running storylines and character conflicts to their conclusions. As fans of The Wire know, each season of the series has explored a particular social or political theme while continuing to tell the compelling personal stories of the characters on its expansive canvas. This season the narrative will scrutinize the media and its successes and failures in covering the alarming political, economic and social challenges that have been explored during the run of the show. Why are so many newspapers losing their power, and why is strong journalism increasingly vulnerable? Simon, who worked at the Baltimore Sun for 13 years, has a lot to say on these subjects, as you'll see in the weeks ahead. For anyone who may be new to The Wire, it is set in Baltimore and brings to dramatic light the challenges faced by budget-strapped law enforcement personnel in trying to curtail the city's rampant drug trafficking. It also provides a sobering look into the utter failure of the city's school system and the influence of crime and poverty on its young people. The show may be set in Baltimore, but Simon is forcing us all to take an uncomfortably close look at the shameful problems faced by millions of inner-city residents across the country -- from all angles. Dominic West, Lance Reddick, Wendell Pierce, Aidan Gillen, Sonja Sohn, Clark Johnson, Method Man and Neal Huff head the extraordinary cast, perhaps the strongest ensemble on television.

Chris Rock: Never Scared (Comedy Central, 9 p.m. ET)
Premiere. Actor and comedian Chris Rock performs his latest stand-up routine, touching on such subjects as fatherhood, drugs and his secret to a happy marriage.

The L Word (Showtime, 9 p.m. ET)
Season Premiere. As Season 5 of Showtime's durable drama about lesbians in Los Angeles gets underway, Paige walks in on Shane having sex with a hot real estate agent and ends their relationship, Helena has great difficulty adjusting to prison life, Tina contemplates the trials of seeking a new relationship, Jenny reveals that she is in a relationship with the Greek hedge fund billionaire who is financing Tina's movie company, Kit is concerned about the future of her business when two entrepreneurs open a rival lesbian bar near The Planet and Shane's business goes up in flames. Jennifer Beals, Laurel Holloman, Mia Kirshner, Marlee Matlin, Katherine Moennig, Pam Grier and Cybill Shepherd star.

Cashmere Mafia (ABC, 10 p.m. ET)
Series Preview. This new comedy-drama series is about four sexy New York City businesswomen and longtime best friends who love and support each other through good times and bad. Sound vaguely familiar? (If not, here's a hint: One of the executive producers of this series is Darren Star, the man behind Sex and the City.) In the opener Mia (Lucy Liu) and her fiancé engage in a fierce competition to determine which of them will be promoted at the media conglomerate where they are both employed, Caitlin (Bonnie Somerville) takes a romantic interest in a female colleague but keeps it from her friends, Juliet (Miranda Otto) learns that her husband is having an affair and plots her revenge, and Zoe (Frances O'Connor) and her husband struggle to balance their power careers with parenthood. Guest stars include Tom Everett Scott and Lourdes Benedicto.

MONDAY, JANUARY 7

The View (ABC, 11 a.m.)
Elisabeth Hasselbeck returns from her maternity leave.

Dance War: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann (ABC, 8 p.m. ET)
Live. Series Premiere. Two Hours. Dancing with the Stars judges Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba -- both accomplished choreographers -- are the stars of this new reality series in which they each put together and mentor a talented song and dance team that will compete week after week in musical performances. After each show the home audience will vote to determine which team was the best, and the following week the mentor of the losing team will have to choose one performer for the de rigueur painful elimination. At the end of the series, the winning team will go on tour as the opening act for a major performing artist. Dancing with the Stars Season 2 winner Drew Lachey is the host.

National Body Challenge: Twins Edition (Discovery Health, 8 p.m. ET)
Season Premiere. Season 5 of Discovery Health's annual weight loss and wellness campaign follows four sets of identical twins that suffer from obesity through a 15-week challenge to lose fat and get fit. Under the guidance of Discovery Health's health and fitness experts Dr. Pamela Peeke and Dr. Lydie Hazan, the twins' goal is to lose at least 10 percent of their body weight during that time thru proper diet and exercise and other lifestyle changes. National Body Challenge will be telecast over the next three nights at 8 p.m.

Critics' Choice Awards (VH1, 9 p.m. ET)
Live. Curious to know what movies, actors, writers and directors were deemed the best of 2007 by an esteemed group of 200 film critics? Then check out the 13th annual Broadcast Film Critics Association's Critics' Choice Awards, telecast live from the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium and hosted by actor and comedian D. L. Hughley. The nominees for Best Picture are American Gangster, Atonement, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Into the Wild, Juno, The Kite Runner, Michael Clayton, No Country for Old Men, Sweeney Todd and There Will Be Blood.

Medium (NBC, 10 p.m. ET)
Season Premiere. As this underrated series' fourth season begins, Alison is having disturbing dreams about a young boy taken from a toy store while shopping with his father and joins forces with the company hired by the missing child's family to locate their son. Academy Award winner Angelica Huston (Prizzi's Honor) begins a six-episode arc as an investigator with the firm. Patricia Arquette and Jake Weber star.

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report (Comedy Central, 11 p.m. ET)
Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert are scheduled to resume their late-night comedy talk shows tonight without the support of their writing teams.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 8

One Tree Hill (The CW, 8 p.m. ET)
Season Premiere. Two Episodes. Remarkably, the unremarkable One Tree Hill is back for a fourth season. The narrative has advanced four years into the future, meaning that its youthful characters have completed their college educations (or whatever) and are now embarking on their career paths. That sweeping storyline will be laid out in the first of two episodes telecast tonight: Lucas is a struggling writer who is about to become basketball coach for the Tree Hill Ravens, Peyton is involved in the music industry, Brooke has her own fashion line and Nathan and Haley are young parents. In the second episode, Lucas learns that coaching a team isn't easy, Haley hires a nanny and suffers through her first day as a teacher, Mouth has a new boss and Jamie enlists Skills to help him win a Soap Box derby race. Chad Michael Murray, James Lafferty, Hilarie Burton, Sophia Bush, Lee Norris, Antwon Tanner and Bethany Joy Galeotti star.

People's Choice Awards (CBS, 9 p.m. ET)
Live. The 34th annual edition of this popular awards show that honors fan favorites in television, movies and music won't look like the usual star-studded party, because most of the celebrities being honored won't cross the WGA picket line to attend. Instead, many of them will accept via videotaped messages. Queen Latifah (a nominee for Favorite Leading Lady) is the host. The nominees for Favorite Movie are The Bourne Ultimatum, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End and Transformers. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, House and Law and Order: SVU are nominated for Favorite TV Drama, and The King of Queens, My Name is Earl and Two and a Half Men are nominated for Favorite TV Comedy. Sally Field, Katherine Heigl and Jennifer Love Hewitt are the nominees for Favorite Female TV Star. The nominees for Favorite Male TV Star are Patrick Dempsey, Charlie Sheen and Kiefer Sutherland. Telecast live from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.

How Much is Enough? (GSN, 9 p.m. ET)
Series Premiere. Four players go head-to-head in tests of strategy, psychology and nerve in this new game show hosted by Corbin Bernsen (Psych).

Boston Legal (ABC, 10 p.m. ET)
Wanting the spotlight to himself, Denny refuses to accept help from Alan on a high-profile murder case. Meanwhile, Jerry and Katie are assigned to the case of a woman who wants to sue her husband's law firm for causing their divorce, and Shirley and Carl are once again concerned that Denny is going to damage the reputation of Crane, Poole and Schmidt. William Shatner, James Spader, Candice Bergen and John Larroquette star.

Life of Ryan (MTV, 10 p.m. ET)
Season Premiere. Skateboarding phenomenon Ryan Sheckler is still trying to balance his life as a superstar athlete with his desire to lead a normal life at home in Southern California as Season 2 of this reality series gets underway. This season the good-natured Ryan will take a more active role in his business ventures and move out on his own while continuing to travel the world to compete in skateboarding challenges. He'll also continue looking for a girlfriend.

Parking Wars (A&E, 10 p.m. ET)
Series Premiere. The men and women of the Philadelphia Parking Authority who are charged with tucking tickets under the windshield wipers and clamping yellow boots on the wheels of illegally parked cars are the focus of this observational reality series.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9

Pioneers of Television (PBS, check local listings)
Second of Four Parts. This installment of PBS' nostalgic look back at the men and women who shaped broadcast television celebrates the legends of late night, including Steve Allen, Jack Paar, Johnny Carson and Dick Cavett.

Explorer: Science of Evil (National Geographic Channel, 8 p.m. ET)
Premiere. This documentary seeks to shed new understanding on the realities of evil behavior. You'll see scientists utilize state-of-the-art functional magnetic resonance imaging techniques as they map patterns in neurological processes, hoping to isolate physical evidence of judgment making. And while you're trying to wrap your mind around that, you'll also meet the priest who baptized serial killer and cannibal Jeffrey Dahmer in prison.

Gossip Girl (The CW, 9 p.m. ET)
Serena is having a tizz -- Gossip Girl is reporting that she was spotted buying pregnancy tests! Could it have anything to do with her blooming relationship with Dan? Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, Penn Badgley, Chace Crawford and Matthew Settle star.

Ghost Hunters International (Sci Fi Channel, 9 p.m. ET)
Series Premiere. A fresh team of paranormal investigators -- including veteran TAPS investigators Robb Demarest, Andy Andrews, Brian Harnois and Donna La Croix and newcomers Barry Fitzgerald and Shannon Sylvia -- set out to learn the truth about some of the most legendary haunted locales around the world in this spin-off of Sci Fi's red-hot reality series Ghost Hunters. In the opener, the team heads to creepy Chillingham Castle, an 800-year-old structure with dungeons that were once used as torture chambers. It is widely regarded as the most haunted castle in England. Then they are off to one of Scotland's scariest places, a warren of vaults and tunnels that teemed with destitute people at the turn of the 19th century known as Mary King's Close.

Cashmere Mafia (ABC, 10 p.m. ET)
Time Period Premiere. As ABC's new Sex and the City-like comedy-drama settles into its regular time period, newly appointed Barnstead Media Group publisher Mia is ordered to fire her mentor; Caitlin tells her friends that she is taking her relationship with Alicia to a new level, and Juliet and Davis attend couples counseling, with terrible results. Lucy Liu, Frances O'Connor, Miranda Otto, Bonnie Somerville, Peter Hermann and Julian Ovenden star.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 10

Ugly Betty (ABC, 8 p.m. ET)
Desperate to learn her father's identity, ditsy Amanda visits a psychic. Meanwhile, Betty pushes Daniel to use "real" models during fashion week rather than the usual reed-thin stick figures. Annie Potts is the guest star.

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (CBS, 9 p.m. ET)
John Wayne's grandson Brendan Wayne, professional rodeo cowboy Ty Murray, Mad TV alumna Nicole Sullivan and country singer Shooter Jennings are the guest stars in this episode about two murders during the annual bull riding rodeo in Las Vegas that may be connected to illegal bull breeding. Singer and Nashville Star host Jewel makes a cameo appearance performing the national anthem.

Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew (VH1, 10 p.m. ET)
Series Premiere. Radio host, media personality and practicing medical doctor Drew Pinsky and a team of addiction experts work with Brigitte Nielsen, Chyna, Daniel Baldwin, Jeff Conaway, Jessica Sierra and other D-list celebrities undergoing detoxification at a treatment facility in the Los Angeles area. Dr. Drew has been talking about the taping of this series on his radio show for several weeks. Expect it to be one of the most controversial programs of the year.

Make Me a Supermodel (Bravo, 10 p.m. ET)
Series Premiere. Fourteen beautiful women and men live together in a New York City loft while competing for $100,000 and a contract with New York Model Management in this new reality series hosted by supermodels Niki Taylor and Tyson Beckford. Each week viewers will vote for their favorite, and the aspiring model that receives the fewest votes will be sent home.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 11

Fit to Live (Discovery Health, 8 p.m. ET)
Premiere. Continuing with the spirit of its four-night National Body Challenge series earlier this week, Discovery Health tonight will run this special in which health and fitness expert Dr. Pamela Peeke challenges five people with different body types to determine if they have the basic levels of strength and endurance needed to survive in emergency situations, such as climbing 30 flights of stairs to the roof of a burning skyscraper. Peeke guides them through four weeks of mental and physical transformations that leave them ready and able to meet most challenges.

Friday Night Lights (NBC, 9 p.m. ET)
It's a tough couple of days for troubled hunk Tim Riggins. An enraged Coach Taylor mistakenly believes that Tim was attempting to seduce Julie in the Taylor home and throws him out, and with no place else to turn Tim moves back in with his bad-news brother. And then Tim does the dumbest thing he has ever done in his life! (We knew you were dim, Tim -- but not that stupid!) Meanwhile, Smash is under increasing pressure from recruiters from many major colleges and Coach Taylor prepares the Panthers to take on Laribee High School in the biggest game of the season. Kyle Chandler, Connie Britton, Taylor Kitsch and Aimee Teegarden star.

Moonlight (CBS, 9 p.m. ET)
Beth turns to Mick for help after a vindictive drug lord kidnaps Josh. Alex O'Loughlin, Sophia Myles and Jason Dohring star.

Monk (USA Network, 9 p.m. ET)
Series Return. When Monk infiltrates a cult to solve the murder of a former member he is seemingly brainwashed into joining join the fold. Howie Mandel plays the enigmatic cult leader, Father Ralph Roberts. Tony Shalhoub stars.

My Big Redneck Wedding (CMT, 9:30 p.m. ET)
Series Premiere. Tom Arnold hosts this new reality series that chronicles the weddings of down-home country couples. Among the eccentricities you'll see in this eight-episode series is a beer can canopy, a four-legged best man, a celebratory shotgun salute and a reception featuring mattress surfing and mud wrestling.

Las Vegas (NBC, 10 p.m. ET)
A fugitive has been tracked to the Montecito and every bounty hunter and FBI agent in the region comes looking to make the capture, leading to multiple headaches for Danny, Mike and Cooper, as Las Vegas marks its 100th episode. Josh Duhamel Tom Selleck, Vanessa Marcil and James Lesure star.

Psych (USA Network, 10 p.m. ET)
Series Return. Shawn learns that Gus is married -- and that his wife has a fiancé. You read that right. Enough said! James Roday, Dule Hill and Corbin Bernsen star.

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